


Jazz Studies

by taotruths



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Jazz Club, No Spoilers, Persona 5: The Royal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:27:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24739231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taotruths/pseuds/taotruths
Summary: To take the edge off of their recent confrontation with Eiko and Tsukasa, Ren and Makoto go on their very first date: appreciating cocktails and the art of free-form Jazz.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 2
Kudos: 55





	Jazz Studies

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, it sure has been a while, haha...
> 
> Alright: so I had this idea after I got to Rank 9 of Makoto's confidant (I ended up romancing her again, no surprise there) and the day I did it also happened to be the day where you could learn Concentrate from the Jazz Club. So that just happened to spin into a first date idea.
> 
> Shout-out to Ian_MD for the huge help with fleshing out some of the more detailed bits for this.

**Jazz Studies**

Sunday afternoon was a wild ride for one Ren Amamiya. He finally confessed his feelings for the girl that has kept his attention since he arrived at Shujin Academy; Makoto Niijima.

_"I'll be your study partner."_

Those words stole the show and made his now-girlfriend speechless. After running around Shinjuku and having a relaxing time with her in Crossroads (courtesy of Lala) he reached his room and was hammering out a final task of the night: studying.

With…some difficulty.

The boy threw his head back and sighed, slumping back into the chair of the desk he was sitting in. He had felt like his concentration was waning. After the day he experienced, he felt too high strung. Almost as if all of his senses were on high alert for something ridiculous: like a Shadow Tsukasa jumping in through his window.

Trying to take his mind off of the work he had, he opened his phone up, checking for any messages. One of them came in earlier in the afternoon; being an email subscription he had for the Jazz Club in Kichijoji. It gave a brief, last minute description of the night's event, including the drink menu; where it had a fancy description for their daily cocktails.

_CONCENT-RADE: Today's original drink! Maybe you'll be able to discover a new side of yourself, maybe one you never knew about. A special cocktail for those who want their Mind to be Charged with tonight’s soulful performance!_

It sounded silly, yet somehow he felt this would be worth a shot. It'd be a great opportunity to take a break and relax a little; lord knows he needs it after the week he has been through.

He started gathering his things to depart, but then an idea sprung to him. He hit the call icon on his cell, right next to another icon that had a red heart in its profile picture. He smiled as he clicked the contact icon and pressed the phone to his ear. His heart started beating faster too.

* * *

Makoto had been more or less staring at her notes the entire afternoon since she parted ways with Ren. Yet since then, she has had nothing but a roadblock. Every few minutes she would take a look at her notes, and then her phone. She’d been waiting for Eiko to call her back since the confrontation with Tsukasa earlier that day.

Rather ungracefully, she leaned back and started staring at the ceiling. It didn’t help that the events of this afternoon and of previous encounters with Ren kept plaguing her mind from time to time. She took a deep breath as her mind drifted back to a shady bar in Shinjuku…until her thoughts were broken by the loud ringtone from said phone. Quickly leaning forward, she picked it up, but then saw who it was from on the screen.

It was Ren? But she had called him a few hours ago after they split up for the evening...Why would he call at this hour? Confused, but still concerned, she answered.

"Hello? What's wrong Ren?" She asked worriedly and quickly. The voice replied back calmly, trying to assuage her, after hearing the worry in her voice.

"Hiya! I'm fine Makoto. I know that we just talked earlier, since we got rid of the host Eiko was dating," he continued a little sheepishly, "but I was wondering, if it's alright with you…would you like to go on a date tonight?"

Makoto's eyes widened at the suggestion. _‘A-a date? T-this soon?’_

“We just started dating a few hours ago, and you want to go on a date right now?" She asked in confusion, her hands gripping the phone tightly in a mix of fear and excitement. She noticed that those feelings had seeped into her voice, which made her boyfriend chuckle.

"Well…" his voice trailed off a bit on that word, wondering the best course of action for this conversation. He then spoke up again after a deep breath.

"I'll be honest…I can't study." Ren explained as delicately as possible, in a tone she never heard of him before. "After we saved Eiko from that asshole at the host club, I’ve kinda been on edge…my mind won’t stop spinning, as if something was missing from all of this.” Makoto nodded with empathy.

“I understand, I’ve been having the same problem too. Not only is my mind spinning too, but She hasn’t called me back yet.” Ren grimaced a little on the other line, but then re-directed it back to his original intention.

“I bet she will call when she’s ready, Makoto.” he said reassuringly, to which she nodded solemnly. “But coming back to the topic at hand, I saw this ad for this place I visited with Akechi once in Kichijoji,” Ren continued, “It's called the Jazz Jin. Do you want to go there?"

The name did sound familiar to her. She remembered briefly passing it while she was investigating her lover's activities as a Phantom Thief. That memory felt so far away, already… almost as if it was of a past life of hers.

“Well, my Queen?” his voice halted her train of thought. “What do you say? Would you like to make this… our first date?” He asked sheepishly, a detail which caught her off-guard.

The idea was almost foreign to her. Going out on a date, with her now boyfriend, hours after they started dating? She suddenly felt oddly tense about his question... what if she did something wrong? What if she made things go south due to her inexperience?!Almost as if he could read her mind, his voice cut through her fears like a knife.“If it makes you feel any better: think of it as two students appreciating the art of free form jazz, Miss President." He teased in a flirty yet cheesy tone. The jape got an eye-roll from his girlfriend, as well as a smile. She didn’t even notice her fear was replaced with a flirty desire to be with her boyfriend.

"This sounds like a great idea. I'll see you there Ren." She answered gently as they ended the call.

Closing her textbook, she straightened her headband, and then proceeded to walk towards the door. After checking her phone twice to see if Eiko or her sister had messaged her, she continued on towards the train station, happy yet terrified of the date she was about to partake in. There were no true guides on how to behave in romantic situations, let alone one as specific as this one…she would have to wing it, as Ren would say in the Metaverse.

* * *

The ride to Kichijoji wasn’t terribly long, but it was a bit out of the way for Makoto. After getting off of the platform, she navigated through the buildings. It didn’t take her long to find the modest looking establishment, as well as the line-up inside. Thankfully, it was moving fast, and she made her way downstairs into the dimly lit room, observing all the details of the place, unknowingly creating a mental map of it.

“Ah, welcome young lady.” The greeting was directed to her by a gentleman in a white jacket, sunglasses, and black trilby hat. She felt very relaxed, almost as if he were an old friend welcoming her to a familiar place.

“The name’s Muhen, welcome to Jazz Jin. You’re a friend of Akechi right?” She did her best to hide her grimace at the words ‘friend of Akechi’. “Your boyfriend told me about ya.” On the other hand, the word boyfriend made her cheeks go red; she wasn’t used to the term of endearment quite yet. Giving a light chuckle, Muhen directed her towards a table near the piano, where a familiar crop of messy black hair stood out to her.

It was her beau at the table, waving to her. He was still wearing the simple white & black shirt combo he had earlier that day. The moment he saw her, his blank expression changed to that of a deep happiness. Simply seeing him just made her feel more relaxed as she walked over.

“Good to see you, Miss Niijima. These last few hours without you were agonizingly painful to bear. If you hadn’t shown up here, I would be surely dead.” Ren joked.

She simply rolled her eyes at his theatrics, then took a seat next to him, straightening out her shirt and pants. She smiled at him, but her attention quickly diverted to the surroundings when the song changed. Taking a look around, her eyes were full of wonder.

“To think you know places like this as well...it’s simply incredible.” she said astonished.

Putting a hand behind his head, he gave his classic Joker-esque grin, partly to raise his confidence, partly to make her blush, which in his eyes, were working its wonders.

“Like I said, Akechi might have introduced me to this, but I thought it was a great place to just unwind. The drinks they serve here are top-notch.” He then handed her a menu, but she was hesitant as she grabbed it, eyeing it suspiciously, which made him chuckle.

“Don’t worry, the club here is forbidden to serve alcohol to high-schoolers; it’s fine.” Ren re-assured her. A breath of relief escaped from her, giving the thing a look over. Still, he noticed that she kept staring at the options with uncertainty; until one of the cocktails caught her eye.

“The Concentr-ade special?” She asked Ren; the name caught her attention. It reminded her of the names of the items they used in the Metaverse. Ren gave a slight chuckle, where he gave a somewhat sheepish grin.

“I was planning on ordering one for both of us if you couldn’t decide on one.” He explained as she looked at him. As he was about to raise his hand to call the waiter, someone had already came to them.

“Are you two ready to order?” he asked. Ren nodded, as did Makoto, both of them giving the menus back to the waiter.

“Two Concentr-ade specials. One for me and my lady each.” Ren said with smooth confidence. It managed to make Makoto blush and put her hands on her lap sheepishly. The waiter nodded, giving them a smile.

“Excellent choice! Just give us a few minutes and I’ll bring them out to you.” He then gave a slight bow, writing down their drink order and passing it to the bar. Makoto’s blush somehow got stronger, keeping her head down.

“I-I guess I’m going to have to get used to terms of endearment like that, huh?” she stammered. Ren smiled, placing one of his hands onto hers, gently rubbing his thumb on her palm.

“Yes you will, because you’ve stolen my heart in many ways, my Queen.” He said flirtatiously, which made Makoto look away again, trying not to meet his eyes.

“Is your goal to keep me flustered all night?” she mumbled under her breath.

“Maybe.” He said with a flirty smile. Makoto looked back at him, and returned the smile, though hers was sheepish.

He might take every opportunity with his hazing, but she knows that he still does it in some good fun, without any ill intent. She didn’t know how to react to these affectionate remarks...but she couldn’t get enough of them.

They made her feel special and loved.

As she looked at her boyfriend, she noticed a small blush on his features as well. She giggled at this, noticing that he felt the same way she did. Their waiter then came back round, holding two of their prepared drinks.

“Thank you for your patience, two Concentr-ade specials for you both. Thank you, and enjoy.” The man passed the drinks to the table, as they looked at it in a bit of wonder.

They were both filled in some rather large glasses, both with an orange beverage inside, with a slice of melon on the rim, purple flowers as a garnish, along with a tiny umbrella and straw. The drink gave them both a feeling that...This was a special drink, somehow. With a confident nod, both of them took a sip from it, where their eyes lit up: both of them were surprised at the taste. It didn’t taste quite like anything they drank before. It felt exotic and refreshing.

“Incredible…” Makoto muttered in awe after the first sip, “This is good! Are these the kind of cocktails adults usually drink?” She asked curiously and excitedly.

Ren gave a slight smirk, as he also took another sip from the straw, his attention a little bit piqued when the song changed. Makoto’s attention followed his to the sound system, and the song that was being played. It was a slow song performed by a beautiful woman on stage. Her voice was potent, but she never raised it. It made the whole place feel…calmer and intimate. Ren smiled at the song, as did Makoto, though her smile was one of embarrassment.

“Um…” She murmured quietly, as she nervously tried but hesitated to move her hand closer to her lover’s. This small movement caught his perceptive eye, as he knew exactly what she wanted. Moving his seat a bit closer to her, he offered his hand, which made her whimper.

“Ugh...why do I feel so embarrassed to even do something like that? I-I shouldn’t be so nervous...” she asked with a bit of a downcast expression. Ren simply then took his hand within hers. He looked at her beautiful red eyes, falling in love with her all over again.

“Hey, we’re studying this together right? We’re both learning the ins and outs of this.” He said with a reassuring smile. His mind did wonder how he managed to say that clever sentence earlier today. Makoto returned the smile back, giving a small giggle as well.

“It’s both incredibly charming and incredibly frustrating that you know the exact perfect things to say in situations like these.” That earned him a soft blush on his cheeks, as he scratched his neck with his free hand, feeling proud of himself.

“Still, this place is actually quite relaxing.”

Squeezing his hand tighter, their concentration focused on the soulful jazz that played within the club, where it gave them both a sense of warmth.

“I was nervous at first, this being our first date and everything…” Makoto then decided to get closer to him, almost snuggling into his shoulder. “But it’s very homey here.”

Ren nodded, giving a slow, gentle little peck onto his girlfriend’s forehead, as she got herself closer to him while the last of the songs were being played. They stayed near each other for a few more moments in silence, simply enjoying the other’s presence…until they saw that it was quite late, and that the last train was set to leave soon. The two of them then thanked Muhen for their time and the cocktails, and began making their way back to the train station nearby, walking hand in hand.

* * *

The cool wind brushed against their skins, as they walked through this part of Tokyo, both remembering moments prior in the year, feeling safe in each other’s presence.

“It’s gotten quite late, I never imagined that I would end up going on a date like this close to midnight.” Makoto said happily to her lover, as he nodded with a smile and lightly squeezed her hand. The two of them felt the air around them had cooled down over the evening as they approached the station. Everything was quiet until her phone suddenly buzzed. She fished it out of her pocket to check who it was.

Eiko.

“Hello?” she answered quickly, where her response was a couple sniffles on the other line. She waited a few more seconds before trying again.

“...Eiko? Is that you?” She asked quietly, almost as if she was beside the girl, putting her hands on her shoulders.

“I...I hate that you were right.” a few blinks were all she could muster in response, before the voice on the other line continued.

“I really tried hard to deny it, I really wanted to believe in him. But now I see everything felt so...fake.” Makoto’s eyes widened a bit, letting go of Ren’s hand for a moment, as it rested beneath her arm. He looked back at her with understanding eyes.

“Looking at all the gifts that Tsukasa gave me, they don’t make me happy anymore. They feel… cheap and manipulative. I just wanna throw them all away!” Eiko said loudly and angrily before taking in a deep breath, sighing.

“You’re so damn lucky. Being the president, having good grades, and even having someone who actually cares about you.” Ren gave a quick nudge to Makoto, who didn’t even notice they had stopped in front of the station, but hadn't gotten to the platform yet. She quickly nodded at him as thanks, turning her attention to her other friend.

“Don’t worry, I’ll guide you there.” he said lowly, offering his hand again. Makoto gave a small smile, taking his hand and being mindful of her steps as they proceeded to where the next train would show up. Meanwhile, Eiko continued her train of thought as they walked.

“You know, I don’t think I ever saw you this active with other people before Makoto. Hell, most of the time I’ve seen you cooped up in the library or the council room. I don’t get it. Why’d you go out of your way to help me specifically?” her question came with a bit of sadness.

“Must I have a reason to help a friend?” there was no hesitance in her answer, where she then continued on. “You’re right Eiko. I was cooped up in that room, only focused on my studies and nothing else for so long. No clearly defined goal or real path. I even was neglecting the rest of the student body because I had been so focused on the path that I thought I was meant to go down.” She admitted with a shaky voice, as the other side of the line kept quiet. Ren lightly squeezed her hand and gave her a smile, as did she.

The sound of the PA caught her attention, where the train had pulled up to the platform, Ren helping her find a seat they both could sit down at.

“But, that all had changed when someone helped me broaden my horizons. Someone to help me show that there was something beyond the path I was walking down. I thought I could achieve something that I had wanted alone…only to see that there are things you can’t do alone. It always helps to have someone to be able to rely on, someone that you can trust to help you. I can and want to be that person for you, as he is for me.” Her hand involuntarily squeezed his, a warm blush came over her face.

“I’ll think about it. You have to remember that I can’t do everything you do, so… don’t be mad at me if I’m too slow, okay?” She asked genuinely, to which Makoto gave a small giggle. Eiko then gave a sigh. “Honestly though, I’m so jealous about you and your boyfriend. I don’t wish you two anything bad, but maaan, do I want someone like him in my life. Where did you guys go after that whole thing with Tsukasa anyhow?” Suddenly the light blush on her face turned into a deep crimson, as she sheepishly looked at the Fool beside her, who had a content look across his face as he looked to the windows.

“Um...well, that’s…” Looking back at her boyfriend, he gave a confident, if somewhat cheeky grin, which made her decide to be honest with her friend.

“We got away from Shinjuku, and he ended up...taking me on a date. We’re on our way back home now, actually.”

Suddenly, the melancholic tone of the council president’s friend was gone, replaced with a more mischievous and teasing one.

“Ooohhhh? Finally! Something juicy from the class president! You’ll have to tell me everything! Gimme the deets!” She said loudly enough for even Ren to hear, but Makoto was not ready to be bombarded with the excitement that Eiko was exuding from her phone.

“Um, it’s rather late right now. However, I promise I’ll tell you everything tomorrow, ahaha…” she laughed rather nervously, hoping her friend would drop the subject for now.

“Oh alright…” she relented in a disappointed, but understanding tone., “But you’re gonna tell me every single detail! Don’t flake on me for this Mako-chan. I can’t wait~!” The line finally went dead after the sing-song quip from Eiko, where Makoto let out a huge sigh of relief.

“At least that’s one step forward for you two making up.” Ren said stretching back into his seat.

“Yeah, it is.” Looking at the map, she realized her stop wasn’t going to be for at least another 15-20 minutes. Taking the cue from her boyfriend, she stretched her body as well.

Seeing as their car was almost empty, she leaned in and rested her head against his shoulder, although a light blush came to her face as a result. She would’ve felt tired from how much she was blushing, but this was a feeling she didn’t want to end.

“Um...I hope I’m not being selfish, doing this...” her voice trailed off near the end. Ren gave a small chuckle, putting an arm around her waist.

“The case could be made that I’m being selfish for not complaining about this though.” He joked, which made her giggle. He kissed her forehead. “I’ll let you know when we’ve reached your stop.” he said warmly. Makoto gave a small smile, but a strong blush came to Ren’s cheeks.

“That being said...I hope this next request doesn’t sound selfish of me but…” He said sheepishly, looking down at the ground. She noticed how much stronger this blush was compared to the rest, noticing that his usual confidence was replaced with hesitation as he looked back to her eyes.

“Can I...kiss you?” he asked gently, and time seemed to stop. Her mind took a while to process his request, but seeing his nervousness, a quick idea sprung into her mind. She gathered all of her courage to pull off what she was about to do.

Slowly but carefully she raised her head, leaning forward towards his lips. It felt a little embarrassing for her, taking the initiative on such an intimate activity that she had no experience in, but as soon as their lips touched, it set off a firework in her heart.

The two of them concentrated on the moment for a few fleeting seconds that felt much, much longer and sweeter, and then pulled apart. Both of them became a blushing mess, as they looked into each other’s eyes.

“I-is that an acceptable answer…?” She spoke out nervously. Only a single nod was able to be given as a response, as he felt stunned by what they had just done. He really… kissed Makoto. They had been slowly dancing around each other for so long, and now…they finally had their first kiss. He couldn’t feel happier at that moment. She put on a bit of a victory smile, as he was finally caught off guard from something she did.

“That’s good.” she said. Scooching a bit closer, she laid her head back on his shoulder, looking a bit away, Ren looking in the opposite direction as well, both with deep blushes on their faces. They stayed quiet for a few moments, as they listened to the sounds of the train rocking back and forth as it led them to their destination, unsure of what to say next. The only thing they did was feel each other’s warmth and wonder how much they would get addicted to these little escapades and kisses.

“...So, what would be my grade on this first date?” Makoto asked, breaking the awkwardness with a small joke of her own, which was successful in making Ren chuckle.

Ren gave her another kiss on the forehead as he raised her chin slowly so they could lock their eyes.

“...An A, no doubt.” He said happily, as she smiled and both leaned in closer for a second, longer and more passionate kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the description I added for the cocktail is a reference to Mind Charge; the skill name in P3-P4 before they went with Concentrate in P5.
> 
> You may also be wondering how the singer (who I am 99% sure is Lyn Inaizumi) shows up on this day, even though she isn't scheduled for the day you can learn Concentrate. Well, Ian thought it would be a nice touch, and I couldn't help but think it would make a great memory for them, so let's just say she made a brief surprise appearance for the club.
> 
> Again: huge shout-out to Ian_MD for his help on this. Check out more of his stuff here:  
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ian_MD/pseuds/Ian_MD


End file.
